Machine for shaping uppers over lasts



Wv T. B. ROBERTS MACHINE FOR SHAPING UPPERS OVER LASTS 7 Nov. 29, 1932.

Filed Dec.

24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet WVE/VTUR NOV. W. T. B. RQBERTS I MACHINE FOR SHAPING UPPERS OVER LASTS Filed Dec. 24. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov... 29, 1932 QFFECE WILLIAM THOI'KAS BUCKTNGHAM ROBERTS, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB .TO

UNITED SHGE MACHINERY CORPORATIOLT, 0F EATER-SON, NEW JERSEY, A COT.-

PORATION 0F NEW JERSEY MACHINE F933 Application filed December 2-2, 1931, Serial No. 583,013, and in Great Britain January 17, 1931.

This invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture of shoes for shaping uppers over lasts. T ie invention is herein illustrated as applied to a pulling-over machine of the same general type as disclosed 1n Letters Patent No. 1,510,851, granted on October 7, 1924 upon an application of Arthur E. Jerram and Joseph Gouldbourn, but it is to be understood that in its more general aspects it is not thus limited in its applicability.

Pulling-over machines of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned Let ers Patent frequently include in their organization two pairs of gripper jaws for pulling the upper at each of the opposite sides of the last, one pair at each side being arranged to engage the upper at or near an end of the tip line (or where an end of the tip line would be if the upper were provided with a tip) and the other pair being positioned farther rearwardly along the side of the shoe, i. e., arranged to pull the upper somewhat nearer the ball of the last. The two pairs of jaws at each side of the last, frequently hereinafter referred to as front and rear pairs of jaws, are commonly operated by a single updraw member or lever with provision for relative movement of the different pairs in accordance with differences in resistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull. he present invention, in one aspect, provides novel means whereby one of the twopairs of jaws at a side of the last, herein 7 shown the rear pair, nay be moved relatively to the other pair after the pulling of the upper to alter the force of the pull applied to the upper. As illustrated, provision is thereby afforded for increasing the force of the pull applied by the rear pair of jaws, as may be desirable in order properly to stretch and conform to the last that portion of the upper that lies at the rear of the tip line. The construction shown comprises means whereby both the rear pairs of jaws, at the opposite sides of the last, may thus be moved simultaneously to increase the force of the pull by a single operating member, with provision for substantially equalizing the forces appl ed to both these pairs of jaws. In accordance with a further feature also provision is afforded for relaxing, if desired, the force of the pull applied by all four pairs of side gripper jaws through reverse movement of the means for increasing the force of the pull applied by the rear palrs.

The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view generally in side elevation, with parts in section, showing a portion of a pulling-over machine of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned Letters Patent with the present invention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of a portion of the structure; and

Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale of certain parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In view of the disclosure in the above-mentioned and other prior Letters Patent of characteristic features of the general organization of pulling-over machines of the wellknown type illustrated, only such parts are herein shown as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of the invention. It will be understood that the general arrangement is such that the machine operates upon a shoe positioned bottom downward with its toe end pointing upwardly and rearwardly away from the operator so that he may conveniently look down on the shoe and determine whether the upper is properly pulled. I The machine includes, as usual, a gripper (not shown) for pulling the upper at the toe end of the last and other grippers for pulling the upper at the opposite sides of the forepart of the last. The opposite side grippers comprise,at each side of the last, a pair of gripper jaws 10 for pulling the upper at or near an end of the tip line, if the upper is pro vided with a toe tip, and another pair of jaws 12 for pulling the upper farther rearwardly, i. e., nearerthe ball of the last. The different pairs of jaws 10 and 12 are herein frequently referred to respectively as front and rear pairs of jaws, only one of the jaws of each pair being visible on the drawings. As illustrated in greater detail in Letters Patent No. 1,030,522, granted on June 25, 1912 upon an application of R. F. McFeely, the front pair of jaws 10 are mounted on a gripper casing 14, and the rear pair 12 on a similar casing 16, one jaw of each pair being, fixed on its casing and the other jaw movable toward and from the fixed jaw. Mounted in each casing is a jaw-closing member or slide 18 provided with a pin 20 through which the movable jaw of the pair is operated to grip the upper and through which both jaws are then operated to pull the upper. The two closing slides 18 are connected together by an equal izing member or rocker 22 through which both slides are operated by a gripper bar 24 connected to the rocker by releasable means not herein shown in detail but of substantially the same construction as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,030,522. It will be understood that throughout the operation of both pairs of jaws to pull the upper the member 22, by reason of the provision afforded for its rocking movement, permits relative movement of the different pairs in the direction of the pull in accordance with differences in resistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull. The bar 24 is connected by a. ball and socket joint 26 to alever 28, herein termed an updraw lever, which is mounted to rock about a horizontal rod 30. The lower end of the lever 28 is operatively connected to a slide 32 through a spring 34, the slide being operated by a cam member 36 which is mounted on a powerdriven shaft 38. It will be understood that, as illustrated in Fig. 2, there are two side updraw levers 28, the two levers being operated by the slide 32 through separate springs 34-and being connected respectively to the two pairs of-gripper jaws located at the opposite sides of the shoe. The front and rear pairs of jaws 10 and 12 at either side of theshoe, together with the closing slides and gripper casings thatare associated therewith, maybe conveniently termed front and rear grippers both operated by a single updraw lever. 28 through the equalizing connection 22.

For purposes of this invention there is provided, as herein illustrated, a rock-shaft 40 mounted on the frame of the machine near wardly extending pin 48 vwhich'carries a doubleeeared lug 50 at its upper end. Apivot pin 52 extends from one ear to the other of each of the lugs 50 and provides a bearing for a gripping member 54. Each member 54 has an opening therein through which extends a rod 56 rectangular in cross-section and connected at 58 by a ball-and-socket joint to a plate 60 which is mounted to slide along the outer face of the rear gripper casing 16, this casing having an undercut guideway 62 in which one edge of the plate is received and guided while its other edge is mounted in aguideway 64 provided on the front gripper casing 14. The plate 60 is provided with an'opening into which projects a lug 66 carried by the rear gripper-closing slide 18, this lug extending through an elongated slot 68 formed in the rear gripper casing.

The rock-shaft 40 is provided at its lefthand end with a toothed segment'TO which meshes with a pinion 72 mounted on a short rock-shaft 74 mounted on the frame close to the shaft 40, and fast on the shaft 74 is a hand lever 7 6 by which this shaft may be rocked. A clock spring, not shown, tends to swing the lever 7 6 in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 1) and accordingly to turn the rock-shaft 40 in a clockwise direction and thereby to keep lugs 78 on the branches of the yoke 46 in contact with faces on the rear sides of the updraw levers 28, as illustrated. lVhen the yoke 46 is in this position the gripping members 54 are held in contact with fingers 80 on the respective updraw levers and are positioned by these fingers in such relation to the rods 56 as to permit the rods to slide freely through the openings in the members, the latter being further controlled by spring plunger-s 82 which tend to turn them in such directions as to cause them to grip or bind on the rods 56. The hand lever 76 is preferably connected to a dash-pot (not shown) by which rotation of the rock-shaft 40 caused by contact of the updraw levers with the lugs 7 8 in the normal upper-pulling operation is retarded in a manner similar to the disclosure of Letters Patent No. 1,169,414, granted on January 25, 1916 upon an application of R. F. McFeely, and by means of the lever 76 the operator may control the pulling force applied to the upper by all the side grippers.

In the operation of the machine as thus far described, upper-pulling movements are imparted yieldingly to the opposite side grippers through the updraw levers 28 and the gripper bars 24, the front and rear pairs of jaws at each side being operated first to grip the upper and then to pull it heightwise of the last. In this upper-pulling operation the rocking members 22 connecting the closing slides 18 of the front and rear grippers permit relative movements of the front and rear pairs of gripper jaws in the direction of the pull on the upper and substantially equalize the forces applied to the different portions of the upper by these different pairs of jaws. As the rear grippers are moved heightwise of the last the plates and the rods 56 move idly with them, the rods being loose in the openings provided in the members 54. It will be understood that in this upper-pulling operation either one of the updraw levers 28 may move farther than the other by reason, for example, of greater yield of the upper at one side of the last than at the other side, and under these conditions the yoke 46 is turned about the axis of the shaft 44 under the influence of the updraw levers. At the end of the updraw movement of the grippers the machine comes automatically to a stop in the usual manner, so that the operator may observe the condition of the upper. If conditions are such that the operatorconsiders it desirable to impart an additional pull to the portion of the upper operated upon by the rear pairs of gripper jaws 12, he accomplishes this by moving the lever 76 in a clockwise direction, thus turning the rock-shaft 40 in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 1). At the beginning of this movement of the rock-shaft the gripping members 54 are carried away from the fingers on the updraw levers, thus permitting the spring plungers 82 to turn these members into positions to grip the rods 56 at their opposite sides. The opening in each of the members 54 is formed as illustrated in Fig. 3, so that when the member is turned it will bind tightly upon the rod. After the two members 54 have thus gripped the rods 56, continued movement of the lever 7 6 serves to impart sliding movements to the plates 60 which are connected to the lugs 66 of the 3 rear closing slides 18 and thus further to operate these slides to impart to the rear pairs of gripper aws 12 additional upper-pulling movements while incidentally also increasing the force with which these jaws grip the upper. In view of the provision for turning movement of the rocker 46 about the axis of the shaft 44, the force of the additional pull applied to the upper by the rear grippers is substantially equalized at the opposite sides of the shoe. Since each updraw lever 28 is under the influence of its previously compressed updraw spring 34 at the time when the operator moves the hand lever 7 6 as described, each gripper bar 24 receives some 1 additional movement in the direction of the pull as the additional pulling movements are imparted to the rear grippers, each rocker 22 swinging about its connection with the 010s ing slide 18 of the front gripper. The addif tional pull is accordingly applied through the rear pairs of jaws without substantially altering the force of the pull applied by the front pairs of jaws.

In the construction shown there is further I provided means whereby the operator is enabledto manipulate the side grippers in such manner as to shift the upper bodily over the forepart of the last if desired, in order to ad just it in proper relation to the last. For this purpose wings 84 project outwardly and forwardly from the opposite sides of the yoke 46 and hand levers 86 project upwardly and forwardly from the wings to positions at opposite sides of the shoe within convenient reach of the operator. By pushing rearwardly on one of these hand levers and pulling on the other after the updraw movement of the grippers has been completed the yoke 46 may be moved about the axis of the shaft 44 to move the upper end of one of the levers 28 and the grippers at one side of the shoe forwardly to decrease the force of their pull on the upper, while permitting the rippers at the other side of the shoe to be drawn farther rearwardly by their operating lever and spring 34 to take up the slack due to the decrease in the force of the pull at the first-mentioned side of the shoe. The forepart of the upper may thus be shifted transversely of the last to the extent desired.

If at the end of the updraw movement of the grippers it should be desired to decrease temporarily the force of the pull applied to the upper by all the side rippers, this can be effected by swingin the lever 76 in a counter: clockwise direction, as a result of which the lugs 78 on the yoke 46 impart forward movements to the upper ends of both updraw levers 28.

Since the lugs 50 that carry the gripping members 54 can turn aboutthe axes of the pins 48 in the rocker 46, the members 54 do not interfere in any way with the movements of the opposite side grippers toward each other in the manner characteristic of machines of the illustrative type before the up per is fastened in pulled-over position. The relation between the members 54 and the rods 56 is also such as not to interfere with the usual movements of the side grippers lengthwise of the shoe, as for tip -straightening purposes.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In amachine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairs of gripper aws for pulling an upper at the same side of a last, a single updraw member movable in'the direction of the pull of said aws on the upper to operate both pairs of jaws, connections between said member and the different pairs of jaws so constructed as to permit throughout the upper-pulling operation relative movement of the different one of the pairs of jaws relatively to the other pair 'after the pulling of the upper to increase'the force of the pull applied by said one pair of jaws.

:2. ,-.In:a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairsiof gripper jaws for pulling an upper at'the same side of a last, a single power-operated updraw member movable inthe direction of the ,pull-of-said jaws on the upper to operate both pairs of jaws, connections between said member and the-difierent pairs of jaws so constructed as to permit throughout the upper-pulling operation relative movementbf the different pairs in accordance with; differences in resistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull, and amember movable by theoperator after thespulling of-the upper to alter the force of the pull applied by-one of the pairs ofjaws without substantially altering the force of the pull-applied by the other pair.

3. In ,a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairsof gripper jaws for pulling an upper at the same. side of a last, an updraw lever for moving both said pairs of jaws heightwise of thelast to pull'the upper, and means supported separately from the updraw lever for further moving one of the pairs of jaws heightwise of the last relatively-to the other pair to increase the forceof the pull applied by said'one pairof jaws.

4. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairs of gripper jaws for pulling an upper at the same side of a last, an updraw lever for moving both said pairs of jaws heightwise ofthe last to pull-the upper, and mechanism. supported separately from the updraw lever and constructed and'arranged for use at the will of the operatorindependently of the updraw leverto move one of the pairs of jaws heightwise of the last relatively to the other pair to alter the force of the pull applied'b'y said one pair of jaws.

5. Ina machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairs of gripper jaws for pulling an upper at the same side of a last, an equalizing connection between said pairs of jaws comprising a rocking member arranged to permit relative movement of the'different pairs in accordance with difi'erences in resistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull, a member for operating both pairs of jaws through said equalizing connection,

and-a device movable'at the will of the operator .and connected to one of the pairs of jaws for increasingthe force of the pull applied by that pair withoutsubstantially altering the force of the pull applied by the other pair.

6. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairs of gripper jaws for pulling an upper at the same sideof a last, jaw-closing slides associated respectively with the different pairs of jaws for closing them on the upper, an equalizing connection between said slides, a member arranged to operate the slides through said equalizing connection to close the jaws and then to move them to pull the upper, and mechanism for operating one of said slides alone after the pulling of the upper to increase the force of the pull applied by one of the pairs of jaws.

7. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairs of gripper jaws for pulling an upper at the same side of a last, a single updraw member movable in the direction of the pull of said jaws on the upper to operate both pairs of jaws, a member connected to one of the pairs of jaws and movable idly in the upper-pulling operation, and mechanism normally disconnected from said last-named member but arranged to operate it to impart an additional movement in the direction of the pull to said one pair of jaws without sub stantially alteringthe force of the pull applied by the other pair.

8. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairs of gripper jaws for pulling an upper at the same side of a last, an updraw lever for moving both said pairs of jaws heightwise of the last to pull the upper, connections between said lever and the two pairs of aws constructed to permit throughout the upperpulling operation relative movement of the different pairs in accordance with differences in resistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull, a member connected to one of the pairs of jaws and movable idly in the upper-pulling operation, and mechanism for operating said member'to impart an additional movement in the direction of the pull to said one pair oi. jaws without substantially altering the force of the pull applied by the other pair.

9. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairs of gripper jaws for pulling an upper at the same side of a last, casings supporting the respective pairs of jaws, a closing slide in each casing for closing the jaws and operating them to pull the upper, an equalizing connection between the different closing slides, a member for operating both closing slides through said equalizing connection, a member slidingly i'nounted on one of the casings for supplementally operating the closing slide in that casing, and means for operating said last-named member after the pulling of the upper to increase the force of the pull applied by one of the pairs of jaws.

10. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising two pairs of gripper jaws for pulling an upper at the same side of a last, a single updraw member movable in the direction of the pull ofsaid jaws on the upper to operate both airs of aws, connections between said ment er and the two pairs of awe constructed to permit relative movement of the difierent pairs in accordance with differences in resistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull, a member connected to one of the pairs of jaws and movable idly in the upper-pulling operation, and mechanism for operating said last-named member to impart an additional movement in the direction of the pull to said one pair of jaws, said mechanism including a device arranged to connect automatically with. said member before operating it.

11. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a gripper for pulling an upper over a last, said gripper comprising a pair of jaws and a aw-closing member, a device for operating the jaws normally through said jawclosing member to pull the upper, and another deviceseparately connected to said jawclosing member for giving the upper an add tional' pull in the same direction as the'normal pull; I

12. In a machineforshaping uppers over lasts, a gripper for pulling an upper over a last, said gripper comprising a pair of jaws and a aw-closing member, a power-operated device for operating the jaws normally through said jaw-closing member to pull the upper, and a manually operated lever device separately connected to said jaw-closing member for giving the upper an additional-pull I in the same-direction as the normal pull.

13. In amachine for shaping uppers over lasts, a gripper for pulling an upper over a last, an updraw lever for operating said gripper to pull the upper, and mechanism supported separately from the updraw lever and arranged to act on the gripper independently of the updraw lever to give the'upper an additional pull in the same direction as the pull applied by said lever.

V 14. In a machine for shaping uppersover lasts, upper-pulling means comprising a front and a .rear gripper for pulling an upper at each side of a last, a single updraw member movable in the direction of the pull of the grippers on the upper for operating the front and rear grippers at each side of the last to pull the upper, and means for moving the two rear grippers to alter the force of their pull on the upper without substantially altering the force of the pull applied by the front grippers.

j 15. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising front and a rear gripper for pulling an upper at each side o-f a last, a single updraw member movable in the direction of the pull of the grippers on the upper for operating thefront and rear grippers at each side of the last to pull the upper, and mechanism comprising a single member movable by the operator to impart to the two rear grippers simultaneously movement to increase the force of their pull on the upper without substantially altering the force of the pull applied by the front grippers.

16. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising a front and a rear gripper for pulling an upper at each side of a last, a single updraw member movable in the direction of the pull of the grippers on the upper for operating the front and rear grippers at each side of the last to pull the upper, and mechanism movable by the operator to impart to the two rear grippers movement to increase the force of their pull on the upper without substantially "altering the force of the pull applied by the front grippers, said mechanism comprising a device for substantially equalizing the forces applied to the rear grippers.

17. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, upper-pulling means comprising a front and a rear gripper for pulling an upper at each side of a last, a single updraw lever for operating the front and rear grippers at each side of the last to pull the upper, and mechanism movable at the will of the operator independently of the updraw levers to impart to the two rear grippers movement to increase the force of their pull on the upper without substantially altering the force of the pull applied by the front grippers.

18. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, means for pulling an upper over a last comprising at each side of the last a front and a rear pair of gripper jaws, a single updraw lever for operating the two pairs of jaws at each side of the last to pull the upper, operating connections between each updraw lever and the two pairs of jaws operatedthereby arranged to permit relative movement of. the front and rear pairs of jaws in accordance with differences in resistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull, and mechanism movable at the will of the operator toimpart to the two rear pairs of jaws simultaneously movement to increasethe force of their pull on the upper without substantially altering the force of the pull applied by the front pairs of jaws.

19. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, means for pulling an upper over a last comprising at each side of the last a front and a rear pair of gripper jaws, a single updraw lever for operating the two pairs of jaws at each side of the last to pull the upper, operating connections between each updraw lever and the two pairs of jaws operated thereby arranged to permit relative movement of the front and rear pairs of jaws in accordance with differences in resistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull, members connected to the two rear pairs of jaws independently of the updraw levers,

and means for operating said members to in crease the force of the pull of the rear pairs of jaws on the upper.

20. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, means for pulling an upper over a last comprising at each side of the last a front and a rear pair of gripper jaws, a single updraw lever for operating the two pairs of jaws at each side of the last to pull the upper, operating connections between each updraw lever and the two pairs of jaws operated thereby arranged to permit relative movement of the front and rear pairs of jaws in accordance with differences in resistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull, members connected to the two rear pairs of jaws and movable idly in the upper,- pulling operation, and mechanism movable by the operator after the upper pulling'opera tion and comprising devices arranged toconnect with said members and operateuthem to impart to the rear pairs of jaws movement to increase the force of their-pull on the upper.

21. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, means for pulling an upper over a last comprising at each side of the last a front and a rear pair of gripperjaws, a single updraw lever for operating the two pairs of jaws at each side of the last to pull the upper, operating connections betweeneach updraw lever and the two pairs of jaws operated thereby arranged to permit relative movement of the front and rear pairs of jaws in accordance with differences inresistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull,members connected to the two rear pairs of jaws and movable idly in the upperpulling operation, a device mounted to swing about an axis extending transversely of, the updraw levers for operating said vmembers to increase the force of the pull of the rear pairs of jaws on the upper, and a lever movable by, the operator and connected torsaid device for operating it.

22. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, means for pulling an upper over alast comprising at each side of the last a front and a rear pair of gripper jaws, a single updraw lever for operating the two pairs ofjaws at each side of the last to pull the upper, operating connections between each updraw lever and the two pairs of jaws operated thereby arran ed to permit relative movement of the front and rear pairs of jaws in accordance with differences inresistance of different portions of the upper to the force of the pull, and mechanism movable at the will of the operator to impart to the two rear pairs of jaws simultaneously movement to increase the force of their pull on the upper without substantially altering the force of the pull applied by the front pairs of jaws, said mechanism being reverselymovable to impart to the updraw levers movement to relax the force of thepull of-the four pairs of jaws on the upper;

23. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, means forvpulling an upper over a last comprising at each sideof the last a front and arear pair of gripper aws, a single updraw lever for operating the two pairs of jaws at each side of the last to-pull the upper, operating connections between each updraw lever and the two pairs of jaws operated thereby arranged to permit relative movement of the front and-rear pairs of jaws in accordance with differences in resistance of difl'erentportions of the upper to the force of the pull, members connected to the two rear pairs of jaws and movable idly in the upper-pulling operation, and a device mountedto-swing about an axis extending transversely of'the updraw levers for operating said members independently of the levers to increase the force of the pull of'ithe rear pairs of'jaws on the upper, said device. beingreversely movable to impart to the updraw levers movement to relax the force-of the pull of the four pairs of jaws on the upper.

24. Ina, machine for shaping-uppers over lasts, mean for pullingan upper over a last comprising at each side of the last a front and a rear pair ofgripper jaws, a single updraw.- leverfor operating'the two .pairsof jaws'at-each side of the last to pull the upper, operating connections between each updraw lever and the two pairs of jaws operated thereby arranged to permit relative movement'of the-front and rear pairs'in accordance with differences in resistance of'difl'erent portions of-the upper to the force ofthe pull, and mechanism movable at the will of the operator to impart to the two rear pairs of j awsindependently of the updraw levers movementto increase the force of their pull on theupper, said mechanism comprising a member -mounted for rocking movement to equalize the forces applied to the rear pairs of jaws.

25. Inamachine for shaping uppers over lasts, a pair of grippers for pulling an upper at each of-the op osite sides of the forepart of alast, means or operating said grippers to pullthe upper heightwise of the last, and additional means comprising a member movable by the operator to impart to thetwo side grippers that are nearer the heel end of the lastimovement to, alter the force of their pull on the upper without substantially altering the force of the pull applied by the other side grippers.

26. In amachine for shaping uppers over lasts, a pair of grippers. for pulling. an upper at eachof the opposite sides of the forepart of a last, means for operating said grippers to pull the upper heightwise of the last, and

I additional means comprising a lever. movable by the operator to impart to the two side grippers that are nearer the heel end ofthe last movement to increase the force of their pull on the upper Without substantially altering the force of the pull applied by the other side grippers, said additional means being reversely movable to relax the force of the pull applied by both pairs of grippers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM THOMAS BUCKINGHAM ROBERTS. 

